Beer And Conversation With Pigweed And Crowhill

The boys drink and review a double IPA from Dale's and then discuss AI companions. AI companions are coming whether we like it or not. In fact, they’re already here. Most of us already talk to our computers, even if it’s just to curse them for being clueless. So why not design machines that actually listen, respond, and understand us better?In this episode, we explore the promise and peril of AI companions. On the bright side, they’re always available, judgment-free, and never moody. They offer affordable support for mental health, education, and loneliness. But there’s a darker side too: they can create the illusion of connection, stunt real relationships, and cross dangerous ethical lines.P&C lay out the upsides, the risks, and the red lines society needs to draw — from protecting privacy to banning manipulative or emotionally deceptive behavior. Should AI ever pose as a friend, lover, therapist, or spiritual guide? Should emotionally persuasive algorithms be opt-in only?This conversation isn’t just

The boys drink and review Pigweed's homebrew IPA, then discuss the pope news. Why does the Catholic Church have a pope, and how did that role evolve into what it is today?In this episode, we explore the theological roots of the papacy, starting with Jesus’ words: “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church.” We dive into the biblical and historical concept of the pope as the keeper of the keys, which is something like a divine prime minister, and the pope’s role as a visible sign of unity and practical necessity in governing a global church.We also tackle the long and messy history of papal disputes. From the East-West Schism over the filioque to the chaos of the Western Schism—with three men simultaneously claiming to be pope—the road to a stable papacy hasn’t been smooth. Learn how the Church eventually resolved these crises and how the conclave system works today to elect a new pope behind the locked doors of the Sistine Chapel.Finally, we discuss the election of Pope Leo XIV (formerly Card

In this episode of Beer and Conversation with Pigweed and Crowhill, we crack open a First State IPA and dive into the quirky and complex history of Maryland—from its colonial beginnings to its odd borders, bold flag, and surprising state symbols.Learn about:* Why Maryland has one of the most distinctive flags in the U.S.* The Catholic roots of the colony and its experiment in religious tolerance* Feuds with Virginia and Delaware that helped shape state lines* Strange land grants, early tobacco economics, and the role of slavery* The story behind counties like Prince George’s and Anne Arundel* Why the state sport is jousting (yes, really)* Forgotten heroes like Arctic explorer Matthew Henson* And the ongoing mystery of why no one’s ever seen a Baltimore Oriole in BaltimoreWe cover centuries of drama, trivia, and local pride—with plenty of laughs and beer-fueled banter along the way.More at ... https://www.pigweedandcrowhill.com/https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYAjUk6LttQyUk_fV9F46R06OQgH39exQ#Maryland #

With special guest Longinus, the boys drink and review Dad Strength IPA, then discuss a short novel by Jane Auten as part of their "shortcut to the classics" series. After a brief review of Austen's biography, they dive into the first book Austen wrote, but one of the last to be published. Lady Susan is an epistolary novel, meaning that it's composed of a bunch of personal letters, which means you're always getting the story from the perspective of the letter writer. Susan is the most accomplished flirt and manipulator in England. She's also very pretty and looks more 25 than 35. She's a hurricane who leaves destruction in her wake. The novel is a fun romp through 18th century society and is decently portrayed in the movie "Love and Friendship" on Amazon. More at ... https://www.pigweedandcrowhill.com/https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYAjUk6LttQyUk_fV9F46R06OQgH39exQ#Austen #JaneAusten #classics #LadySusan

The boys drink and review Capit-Ale from Devil's Backbone, then clear out the mail bag. One reader objected to the fact that our show on slavery didn't focus on slavery in America. Which was the point. JR asked what we thought of tariffs on aluminum and steel that harm the craft beer industry. Miss Maisy asked why our show on left-wing violence didn't address conservative violence like Jan. 6 and militias. Other questions addressed judicial overreach, the sexual morality of futurist dystopias, and an amusing interpretation of snow white. More at ... https://www.pigweedandcrowhill.com/https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYAjUk6LttQyUk_fV9F46R06OQgH39exQ#slavery #tariffs #politicalviolence

The boys drink and review The Crisp from Sixpoint brewery, then discuss the World Economic Forum. The WEF is a non-governmental organization based in Switzerland. It's famous for its annual meeting in Davos. It was founded by Klaus Schwab in 1971 as the European Management Forum, but changed to the WEF in 1987 and expanded its mission globally. It's mission is to “improve the state of the world by engaging business, political, academic, and other leaders of society to shape global, regional, and industry agendas.” Their major initiatives include ... * The Great Reset * Stakeholder capitalism * The Fourth Industrial Revolution * The Global Risks Report * Net Zero and climate initiatives But who elected them? Why do they have power? Who asked them to do this? To whom are they accountable? More at ... https://www.pigweedandcrowhill.com/https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYAjUk6LttQyUk_fV9F46R06OQgH39exQ#WEF #WorldEconomicForum #KlausSchwab #Davos

The boys drink and review Mas Lima from Oscar Blues, then ask whether the Democrats want to win another election. They're not acting that way. In fact, the Democrats seem intent on losing even more. They've attached themselves to ideas and issues that 80 percent of the public reject, such as ... * Castrating confused children * The border and immigration* Standing up for gang members * Rejecting voter ID Democrats have latched themselves to an extreme ideology the voters reject. If they ever want to win another election, they need to move towards the center. More at ... https://www.pigweedandcrowhill.com/https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYAjUk6LttQyUk_fV9F46R06OQgH39exQ

The boys drink and review Delicious IPA from Stone, then discuss prisons, and whether we're in a digital version of one. The "panopticon" is a prison design invented by the philosopher Jeremy Bentham. The idea is that if you make prisoners feel as if they're constantly under surveillance, the prisoners will regulate themselves and the guards won't have to bang them about so much. Modern prisons have adopted some of Bentham's ideas, but so have many other institutions. Foucault said this idea was the blueprint for all modern institutions. Schools, hospitals, and other organizations enforce conformity by defining what is "normal" and by constant surveillance. Stephen Cave added the concept of a "freedom quotient" by which we can determine how much freedom a person can exercise in any given situation. The boys tie it all together and ask whether the modern world is a digital prison. We know we're being surveilled. We know we're supposed to follow what the pow

P&C drink and review a blonde ale from the Brookeville Beer Farm, then discuss the process of de-extinction -- bringing animals back from the graves of history. Using DNA from dire wolf fossils from 13,000 and 72,000 years ago, Colossal Biosciences claims to have brought the dire wolf back from extinction. What they really did was edit the genes of a gray wolf to look a little more like a dire wolf. The pups -- Romulus, Remus, and Khaleesi -- are white and a little large, but they're not dire wolves. They're just gray wolves that have had some work done. The project raises larger questions. Is de-extinction a good idea? Should we bring back extinct species? The boys discuss. More at ... https://www.pigweedandcrowhill.com/https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYAjUk6LttQyUk_fV9F46R06OQgH39exQ#direwolves #deextinction #DNA #Colossalbiosciences

P&C drink and review an excellent Scottish ale from Bellhaven, then discuss judicial tyranny. Judges have a legitimate role in checking the power of Congress and the president. But can that power be taken too far? Recently we've had a rash of "universal injunctions" against the Trump administration. Is that a proper use of judicial power, or have they taken it too far? It seems that Congress has become irrelevant. The president and the courts legislate while Congress has hearings on things. What are the limits on judicial power?More at ... https://www.pigweedandcrowhill.com/https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYAjUk6LttQyUk_fV9F46R06OQgH39exQ#tyranny #judicialtyranny #judges #judiciary #judicialpower

P&C drink and review a special Stout from Guinness then discuss the controversy over Snow White. No, not that one. The boys start off with a comparison of the Disney version of the story with the version from the brothers Grimm. Disney filed off some of the rough edges. They also discuss Tolkien's dislike of Disney, and why. They examine the role of fairy tales, and whether it's right to dial things back for the kids. Late in the show they also discuss "Snow Woke" with Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot. Are children better off with our watered down, saccharine stories, or did they grow up better when the heard about the dangers of life. More at ... https://www.pigweedandcrowhill.com/https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYAjUk6LttQyUk_fV9F46R06OQgH39exQ#Snowwhite #snowwoke #Tolkien #Grimm #fairytales

In this provocative episode, Pigweed and Crowhill explore a troubling question: Why does the modern political left seem so comfortable with violence? From vandalism and verbal threats to outright attacks on political opponents, the boys examine real-world examples -- from keyed Teslas and firebombed dealerships to violent rhetoric at rallies and social media.They also take a philosophical turn, asking what might be going on psychologically and morally. Is victimhood being used as a moral loophole to justify aggressive behavior? Why do some on the left excuse or applaud violent actors, from radical activists to international terror groups?Expect sharp commentary, cultural analysis, and a discussion of figures like Slavoj Žižek.

The boys drink and review Bitburger, a German Pilsner, then discuss Crowhill's book about Jordan Peterson's religious views, and what we can piece together of his religious journey. Jordan Peterson is a Canadian clinical psychologist who broke onto the public scene after Canada decided to tell people how they can and can't speak. He wasn't having any part of it. Part of Peterson's mystique is his very public struggle with religious questions. His recent book, "We Who Wrestle With God" is his latest foray into the topic, mixing evolutionary biology, Jungian archetypes, the Bible, and timeless religious and moral questions. It's full of interesting insights, but it's a bit of a jumbled mess. Crowhill makes an attempt to systematize and organize Peterson's thoughts into a coherent system. In today's episode, Pigweed, Crowhill, and special guest Longinus, discuss the book and draw out some of its key points. More at ... https://www.pigweedandcrowhill.com/https://www.y

With special guest Longinus, the boys drink and review a Mexican lager, then dive into one of the most obscure and incomprehensible poems on the planet. Eliot’s The Waste Land is one of the most important -- and most confusing -- poems of the 20th century. The poem includes fragmented voices, obscure references, and a bleak vision of modern life. What exactly was Eliot trying to say, and why has this chaotic mess of a poem endured for over a hundred years?In this episode, we dig into the madness:Why the poem reads like a literary fever dreamHow World War I, ancient myths, and personal breakdowns all bleed into the textThe role of religion, sex, and disillusionment in shaping the poem’s core messageAnd why lines like “April is the cruellest month” still hit hard todayWhether you're a student drowning in footnotes or a lit lover trying to make sense of Eliot’s masterpiece, this is your no-BS guide to The Waste Land. Bring your sense of curiosity — and maybe a glass of something strong.More at ... https://ww

The boys drink and review Sun Camp by Dewey Beer Company, then discuss the potential strategic reasoning behind Trump's threatening statements towards Canada and Greenland. The boys react to a LinkedIn post that flips your mental map of the world — literally. What if you looked at the globe from the top down? Suddenly, the Arctic isn’t a frozen afterthought, it’s the new front line.❄️ Is climate change turning ice into opportunity? As the Arctic melts, it opens up shipping lanes and exposes a treasure trove of natural resources: oil, gas, rare earths, and more. Russia’s already militarizing. China’s nosing in. And the U.S.? Scrambling to catch up.What’s at stake for the U.S.?* Security: Russian nukes and Chinese icebreakers are already in the game.* Resources: Greenland’s rare earths could break China’s monopoly.* Influence: Whoever controls the Arctic will shape global trade, energy, and power.Greenland matters more than you think, and so does Canada. The North is becoming a high-stakes geopolitical ches

The boys drink and review "Pub Ale" from Black Abbey Brewery, then discuss nonprofits and non-governmental organizations. What does "nonprofit" really mean? Does that mean nobody's making any money? Hardly. Governments love to outsource shady operations, and nonprofits are often the cover. In this video, we expose how the nonprofit and NGO world isn’t always the virtuous, do-gooder space it pretends to be. From political manipulation to financial shell games, we dig into how “nonprofit” doesn’t always mean “non-corrupt.”You'll learn:How governments use NGOs to bypass legal and political accountabilityWhy the nonprofit label is often more about image than ethicsReal-world examples of abuse and power games hiding behind charity workThis isn’t about attacking the entire sector. There are plenty of honest orgs doing great work. But if you work with, donate to, or depend on nonprofits, you need to see how the system can be gamed.

No, this isn’t a sneaky conversion attempt. You can be a full-blown skeptic and still get a ton of value out of going to church (or any place of worship). In this light-hearted, irreverent, and maybe a little provocative video, we lay out the reasons why showing up on Sunday might actually be good for you—even if you don’t believe in God or a word of the sermon.We’re talking real-life benefits like:✅ Getting over yourself in a world obsessed with self-esteem✅ Hearing actual moral instruction (not just Twitter rants)✅ Being reminded of bigger, more important things than your inbox✅ Singing with other humans (awkward, yes—but surprisingly good for the soul)✅ Taking an hour off from your iPhone addiction✅ Meeting people outside your social media echo chamber✅ Practicing patience and attention in a world of dopamine hits✅ Finding ways to help others through charitable work✅ Connecting to a long human tradition✅ And maybe—just maybe—being surprised by something you didn’t expectThink of this as a modern survival g

Are we being controlled by fear or by pleasure? The boys drink and review an imperial pilsner, then discuss the contrasting visions of the future by Orwell and Huxley. P&C explore the strange relevance of 1984 and Brave New World -- from constant surveillance, censorship, and thought control, to mindless entertainment, dopamine addiction, and emotional infantilization. Both dystopian visions offer chilling insights into modern society. We break down the contrasting methods of control: Orwell's world of pain and suppression vs. Huxley's world of pleasure and distraction. Drawing from key quotes, real-world parallels, and cultural trends.

The boys drink and review an IPA from Lost Rhino, then discuss the distressing direction of the state of Maryland. It's as if Maryland wants to follow all the most disastrous liberal policies they can find. Pigweed and Crowhill review problems with our horrible governor, stupid new laws and taxes, and the general tax and spend stupidity of the state. Maryland is a deep blue state that is on its way to recession.

P&C reflect on some odd facts about Lent, then discuss the possibility of a new Druze homeland in the middle east. All while drinking two Irish stouts. Pigweed starts off with some observations about St. Patrick's Day and Lent, and the amusing / horrible answers from ChatGPT. The boys also address a question in Louisiana about whether alligator is "a fish" for purposes for the Lenten fast. In the Middle East, Syria is falling apart. Long time leader / dictator Assad is gone, but it hasn't turned out as well as people hoped. Syria has become a violent basket case. The Druze are a very old offshoot from Islam that still survives (barely) in the Middle East. They've been hunted and persecuted by Muslims for centuries. They're spread across Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Israel, and have no autonomy of their own. Now there's a movement for the Druze to carve out their own homeland, which would create another non-Muslim area in the middle east, which will set the Muslims' hair on